prophage
a stable, inherited form of bacteriophage in which the genetic material of the virus is integrated into, replicated, and expressed with the genetic material of the bacterial host.
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Origin of prophage
1Words Nearby prophage
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use prophage in a sentence
Only bacteria that have unexploded prophages in their DNA and no other defenses were vulnerable to colibactin-producing bacteria in laboratory dishes.
Some E. coli set off viral grenades inside nearby bacteria | Tina Hesman Saey | March 4, 2022 | Science NewsBalskus’ team did not demonstrate that colibactin alone could detonate prophages.
Some E. coli set off viral grenades inside nearby bacteria | Tina Hesman Saey | March 4, 2022 | Science News
British Dictionary definitions for prophage
/ (ˈprəʊfeɪdʒ) /
a virus that exists in a bacterial cell and undergoes division with its host without destroying it: Compare bacteriophage
Origin of prophage
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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